mildmanofrock Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I have GAS. There, I've said it. But I've been thinking. Perhaps the constant quest for the perfect bass tone is a wild goose chase. Maybe having decent enough gear that does the job is all most of us need. Let's face it, few of us go on stage unaccompanied to play bass solos. We play in bands. And we need to sound like part of a unit. I recently heard a band where the bassist was using a cab much lauded in these pages (ported with tweeter). And my god, could you hear him. Gorgeous tone, but it swamped everything. It was too loud, too clear and, to me, just far too much of a good thing. I think it's wiser to consider how we complement our fellow band members. Not how we can get a bass tone that wins compliments from bass-loving punters. Which I think most bassists could do by sitting in a complementary frequency at the right level. EQ and volume. I wonder whether splurging a grand on a high-end cab is to please the audience? Or just ourselves? What do you think? Maybe I'm in denial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 When I started gigging I came to the conclusion pretty quick that having a monster rig was pointless as I'd be getting DI'd into the house PA anyway. Plus it was bad for my back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I think the bass player you heard should have turned down a bit! I think it's easier to swap gear than think abotu waht would make you/your band better musically. GAS is a funny thing - I think partly it's us wanting different things, and partly it's knowing that we havn't found what we want quite yet and playing around with it. For me it's been a fun journey of trying everything I want to try (bar two basses*) playing lots, and ending up with basses and rig I'm happy with. I think it's ok to want to get to that sort of place - but for me that has been a process of finding out what I want, and working out how to get there on a fairly methodical journey, I'll be honest I don't understand the kinda GAS that seems to want something new and often utterly different every week. More specifically to your question - I think the beauty of a lot of high end gear is it lets you control what you do better. My fingers can do things on my warwick they could never have done on the Stagg bass I first started messing with - mainly because it's a much better instrument. Likewise a great cab gives you options on shaping your tone that a cheap box of woolyness maybe wouldn't. BUT if you've all the gear an no idea it doesn't matter what you play - you need to learn how to shape your tone to the music - I don't think great tone and fitting the music are mutually exclusive - if anything they are the same thing! anyway ramble over. *a warwick thumb and a ray if anyone was interested. I'll probably build a ray myself sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mildmanofrock Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 Yes, that all makes sense. Maybe he was just too loud. I sort of equate some high-end cabs to DW drumkits. Beautiful sound but too overpowering sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Best bass sound i get is through my samson studio monitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysh Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 short answer. you can't have too much of anything if you know how to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Basically, it comes down to various things imho. What amp have you at the moment? What do the band think of it? Is it portable enough? Has it got enough features for your re quirements( ie have you out grown it?) When I started out, I was more focused on what bass I should have. My previous amps were either bought off friends , or bulky things bought from Loot magazine . These were fine when I played the odd birthday gig. However, when I joined a band with a view to play regularly , I was told by Mr. Guitar , that my Alligator drum amp(which was ok for bass also) was not suitable and I should get a proper bass amp. I did this, and eventually ended up with my Aguilar head and cab. I was thinking of keeping this , just lik e. a guitarist sticks with Marshall or whatever. Having said that, I do w onder if I should. stick to studio monitors and sell this as I am no longe r in a band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krysh Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1360458045' post='1970886'] Basically, it comes down to various things imho. What amp have you at the moment? What do the band think of it? Is it portable enough? Has it got enough features for your re quirements( ie have you out grown it?) When I started out, I was more focused on what bass I should have. My previous amps were either bought off friends , or bulky things bought from Loot magazine . These were fine when I played the odd birthday gig. However, when I joined a band with a view to play regularly , I was told by Mr. Guitar , that my Alligator drum amp(which was ok for bass also) was not suitable and I should get a proper bass amp. I did this, and eventually ended up with my Aguilar head and cab. I was thinking of keeping this , just lik e. a guitarist sticks with Marshall or whatever. Having said that, I do w onder if I should. stick to studio monitors and sell this as I am no longe r in a band. [/quote] what you should do is to get rid of the spaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='krysh' timestamp='1360458627' post='1970887'] what you should do is to get rid of the spaces. [/quote] Wriing this in bed ,) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I don't think it matter does it? our amp would suit you just fine if you ever started gigging again, a pair of Genelecs wouldn't. Also, the sound of your bass unprocessed into studio monitors will sound very, very different to the relatively colored Aguilar. To the OP, whilst it's almost definitely possible to have an amp that's unnecessarily big, it's completely impossible to have an amp that's too loud. They all have volume controls and they all go counter clockwise. The overwhelming sound was the bassist's fault, not the amp's. I'd love a small city car for when I don't need my truck in the same way most people would love a myriad of rigs for every situation but the reality is that money forces most of us to simply have one rig that's big enough for our biggest gigs and therefore far too big for the smaller stuff. The trick is simply to turn it down! You're right what you've said though IME. For one, a lot of us could certainly do with listening to the band rather than the individual instruments. I always cringe slightly when I see threads like 'how can I compete with my guitarist?'. This isn't a sport, it's not a competition, it's a team exercise. Most of us could probably manage with a 100W Peavey combo. But to use my previous car analogy most Ferrari owners could probably manage with a £300 Vauxhall. Where's the fun in that?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefrash Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I dont mind people having massive amps, and loads of top end gear. IME though, as long as we get a decent enough clean sound and its dependable enough, that'll do me! I see my amp as an onstage monitor. And to be honest, I'd much rather have gear that I can throw into the back of a car without much thought - The last thing I want to be doing is worrying about gear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mildmanofrock Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 You fellas are absolutely right. It's great having high-end gear - but better knowing how to use it. Right, I'm off to look for a Bergantino cab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Its all about value-if you are playing small venues power is less important than tone. Loads of great value bass amps on this very forum. However paying £2K for a rig- ( I have done it ) is very much overkill- like buying a Fodera!! I really do fancy a full SVT rig though- but wont because I know it will be so impractical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 [quote name='thumperbob 2002' timestamp='1360583343' post='1972558'] ....if you are playing small venues power is less important than tone..... [/quote] Tone is the most important thing at any gig and at any volume. If you drove a cab then you wouldn't run an Aston Martin or a Mini so "horses for courses" is a consideration but tone should always first on the list. I think the OP is describing someone who just doesn't understand their gear or what their role is in a band. That's not a problem with the gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1360584046' post='1972582'] Tone is the most important thing at any gig and at any volume. If you drove a cab then you wouldn't run an Aston Martin or a Mini so "horses for courses" is a consideration but tone should always first on the list. I think the OP is describing someone who just doesn't understand their gear or what their role is in a band. That's not a problem with the gear. [/quote] Tone is all in the fingers and ears and most amps can give me the tone I want- however all wont give me the power I want too. This is what I meant. My point was if you know what you are doing massively expensive rigs are not really required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 [quote name='thumperbob 2002' timestamp='1360584487' post='1972596'] Tone is all in the fingers and ears and most amps can give me the tone I want- however all wont give me the power I want too. This is what I meant. My point was if you know what you are doing massively expensive rigs are not really required. [/quote] Must say I agree with this. My Summer gigs in 2011 were with my now ex-band, and the PA was just flat out stunning. I used, as an experiment, a cheap SR Precision copy, no upgrades, with a pretty standard Hartke 4x10 and amp, (provided by the headlining band). This was at two larger venues, one of them outdoors. I must say, I was very content with the tone. Fitted the mix brilliantly. Even had a fellow bassist wanting to know what boutique P bass I was using...then he couldn't believe it was 60 quid. I tend to find enjoying the gig and being in the pocket with the drummer overcomes everything...and I'll be more than happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.